When a small-town racing car driver decides to take on the high-octane world of Formula One, he soon learns that to stay at the top he will have to risk more than just his life on the track.

Proposition

An Akos Armont and Antony Waddington documentary feature film, inspired by the extraordinary life of Sir Jack Brabham. Directed by Gregory Read and ExecutiveProduced by Jonathan Shteinman, Endurance is alandmark feature documentary about motor racing’s greatest innovator, “Black-Jack” Brabham; a pioneering race car driver and engineering visionary, three-time World Champion and the first, and only driver in history to win the Formula One Grand Prix Championship in a car bearing his own name.

Project Précis

This is a David and Goliath story about a small-town speedway racer who rolled the dice and risked everything by taking on the elite world of motorsport. Jack Brabham not only conquered the competition, but ushered in the jet-set generation of billionaire bandits, while manifestly leading a revolution that changed the face of Formula One and created the fastest vehicles the world has ever known.

As innovators and entrepreneurs, Sir Jack and his contemporaries revolutionised the engineering and business of Formula One and introduced a new generation of talent to the international arenas of sport, manufacturing and business.

Endurance is the first feature length documentary film being developed with the endorsement of the Brabham estate and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, for international theatrical release within the next two years.

With foundation partners The Australian Racing Drivers Club and Sydney Motor Sport Park, support from Peter Larum, Steve Webb, Peter Boylan, Goodwood Revival, Repco, Documentary Australia Foundation and an association with TAFE NSW, the alignment potential for partners of Endurance provides an unparalleled opportunity for commercial positioning within the automotive/motorsport, education/training, corporate and media/entertainment industries.

Philanthropy

How does the project meet the aims of a philanthropic foundation?

Now inviting philanthropic donations towards a target of $55,000, to be spent on the development budget of this major documentary undertaking. Apart from the entertainment value contained within this film, the story also features a critical element that we believe offers significant social impact – this is its underlying theme of mentorship.Brabham is one of Australia’s all time great sportsmen and was the first driver to be knighted for his services to motorsport. His successes remained unparalleled in the world of Formula One. Not only was he the first Australian ever to win the Formula One World Grand Prix, but on the third occasion, he did so in a car of his own making. He remains the only person ever to achieve such a feat. Brabham was not alone in his journey; along the way he was mentored, guided and supported by those more knowledgeable and experienced then himself. These people guided him into positions and challenges that allowed him to experiment, succeed and fail: a demonstration of the strength and importance of teamwork.Brabham would not have achieved the success he did without the substantial mentoring he received in the early part of his career. In turn, he went on to support, collaborate with, mentor and guide numerous other designers, engineers and racing devotees in both this country and internationally. The potential for highlighting the importance of mentoring, we believe, is one of the critical elements in this film. Through our ongoing discussions with TAFE NSW and the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), it is our intention that this film will be used as a tool to inspire and motivate teachers, students and enthusiasts from all over the country to form formal relationships that see young students of vocational institutes matched with work opportunities, community development projects and companies in order to further refine skills and individual potential. It is further envisaged that the experience of ENDURANCE will encourage tertiary institutions to match students with backyard and grass roots enthusiasts in order to supplement and ‘round out’ their learning experience. To this end, we are devising an ‘all-media’ strategy that incorporates this perspective.Brabham’s achievements have, in many ways, gone unnoticed in this country. As filmmakers we believe that by profiling his achievements in the public arena, there is a huge capacity to invigorate and excite the next generation of emerging designers, engineers, scientists, manufactures, sports participants and motorsport enthusiasts. At the same time, this acknowledgment would confirm the important role that Brabham played in the history of Australian sport, motor racing and vocational training. Given the emerging national discussion surrounding vocational training, we believe our film is a significant celebration of this valuable resource.

Aims & Objectives

What outcomes do you hope to achieve by making this film and how will you measure its impact?

This is a story of triumph against the odds and an example of the rewards of education, innovation and perseverance. Our aim is to make this film a creative and exhilarating work that will have the capacity to inspire, delight and inform audiences.

The Brabham story is a quintessentially Australian story and has all the ingredients that audiences love: an ordinary bloke from a humble background who dared to dream big and not be deterred by social, economic or cultural barriers. The filmmakers want to recognise this great Australian sportsman, achiever and industrial innovator and pay respect to his enduring entrepreneurial legacy. It would be a travesty if this story were to become lost and unavailable to future generations in this country.

We believe that the film has the capacity to reach out to and motivate the current Gen.Y and Millennials in Australia, to remind them of the great tradition and the enormous entrepreneurial spirit and productivity that we, as Australians, are capable of.

The Brabham story may be the greatest success story to come out of vocational based training that this country has ever seen. This is not a story of privilege or outstanding scholarly success, rather that of a young person taking advantage of the applied training available to him and, in turn, using those skills to attain more sophisticated expertise. It is our intention that this story will inspire young people who feel that university is not for them, all the while reminding them that other pathways are available.

Motor racing is the fourth most watched sport in Australia. A large portion of this watching and involvement is on a ‘grass roots’ level. Local tracks and speedways introduce young people to the thrill of fast driving in a safe and controlled environment. With our established support from well respected political, community and industry leaders, we have an opportunity to reflect and reinforce the importance of safe and responsible road practices to ongoing generations of young Australians. The thrill of fast cars and racing endures. We want to ensure that this thrill is acted out in a manner that will reduce harm and misadventure.

It is envisaged that this film will have broad mainstream appeal for both television and cinema audiences. Project partner Paper Bark Films has extensive experience in feature documentary and film markets (both domestically and internationally).

While box office and video on demand returns (across all territories) will be a significant indicator of the film’s financial success, a critical determinant in this film’s value will be measured via the number of secondary school and VET students who engage with and are motivated by the inspirational narrative.